Valved flexible body positive partial displacement fluid pump



Sept. 22, 1964 J. K. RICE ETAL 3,149,573

VALVED FLEXIBLE 0 Y POSITIVE PARTIAL DISPLACEM FLUID PUMP Filed March29, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 I i u, ,a 4, 3 a M Q 5% L iu \r V '1 I JAMESKE Z E E/amaze C, c5

7745/; A rranusv Sept. 22, 1964 J. K. RICE ETAL 3,149,573

VALVED FLEXIBLE BODY POSITIVE PARTIAL DISPLACEMENT FLUID PUMP FiledMarch 29, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 54 E/. o 7- I a- 7 53 I VENT JAMeaK.files Emu/ma C. E/cE THE/R rfcmA/EY Sept. 22, 1964 RICE ETAL 3,149,573

VALVED FLE LE Y POSITIVE PARTIAL DISP CEM FLUID PUMP Filed March 29,1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 JAMEJ 5 El 04480 C. E/CE THE/8 Arromve'v J. K.RICE ETAL I VALVED FLEXIBLE BODY POSITIVE PARTIAL Sept. 22, 1964DISPLACEMENT FLUID PUMP 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 29, 1962 5 E w mix?a w I W A a w M 2 7% W Y B ww NQ mm N 3 QQ am a NQ\ a ND\ m w m8 2 .k

Sept. 22, 1964 J. K. RICE ETAL 3,149,573

VALVED FLEXIBLE BODY POSITIVE PARTIAL DISPLACEMENT FLUID PUMP FiledMarch 29, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 6- V NVEN 0R5 Jewssk; 1:5

El CHAAO C. f CE THE/1G Arroeuev Sept. 22, 1964 J. K. RICE ETAL3,149,573

VALVED FLEXIBLE BODY POSITIVE PARTIAL DISPLACEMENT FLUID PUMP FiledMarch 29, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 Fig/3 NVEN 0R5 JAMEJK 505 2 5/04/020 0.fi

United States Patent 3,149,573 VALVED FLEXEBLE BODY POSITIVE PARTIALDlSPLACEMENT FLUID PUMP James K. Rice and- Richard 6. Rice, Pittsburgh,Pa,

assignors to Cyrus Wm. Rice & Company, Craiton, Pa,

a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 29, 1962-, Ser. No. 183-,5fl917 Claims. (Ql. 193-67) This invention relates generally to. rotaryfluid pumps and more particularly to a rotary valved, flexible chamberedbody, positive partial displacement fluid pump.

This pump has many variations and its principal use is for smallcapacity metering pumps rather than large capacity pumps, but it isendowed with novel features capable for use inlarge and small capacitypumps.

Present small capacity flexible body positive displacement pumps arediflicult to maintain and are not always consistent in their delivery.Where very accurate feeding is most important the summation of the feedover a period of time is sometimes relied upon for accuracy which may beacceptable for some purposes but is. not acceptable for other processesrequiring the constant and continuous addition of small portions ofliquid or gas to the process being treated. Under such circumstances aperiod of over feeding or under feeding of the fluid supplied may have avery drastic eflect on the process. These and many other problems arisein which the present flexible body pumps fail whether these pumps arefull or partial displacement.

The present invention is directed. to a rotary valve chambered flexiblebody partial positive displacement pump wherein the flexible body mayhave single or multiple chambers with inlet and. outlet valves for eachchamber. This flexible body may be made in a single disc having manychambers or it may be made of many flexible tubes each having a singlechamber. lirr either event eachchamber is connected to inlet and outletporte valves.

Each valve is preferably formed as a single member with a smooth facehaving a port for each chamber. This valve member may be a flat disc ora cylinder with tapered smooth valve faces which cooperate with thesupple.- mentary mating port members. The port member is a single parthaving an extending port connection with its valve ports. The inlet andoutlet ports. are connected through the inlet and outlet valve membersto opposite ends of the partially diminishable chamber means in theflexible body means. Yet these inlet and outlet ports are offset inrotary progression from one another so that no single chamber is open tothe inlet and outlet at the same time.

The flexible body means, Whether a single or a multiple body, may havetheir partially displaceabl'e chambers disposed in parallel or radialrelation to the rotary a-xis. These chambers may be partially displacedby eccentric movement relative to the. axis. This may be produced by onevalve and valve port member having its axis disposed at an anglerelative to the axis of the other valve member. This angular dispositionmay be employed on the flexible body means-regardless of whether thevpartially compressible chambers therein are disposed axially or radiallyof the rotary axis or even spherical chambers. The eccentricity may beproduced by disposing. the parallel axis of two members in: eccentricrelation to each other or by disposing the axes of the two members at anangle to each other. Both conditions produce a relative eccentricitythat permits partial displacement in each chamber for each rotation ofthe pump. Thus the pump structure comprising this invention may take avariety of forms, shapes, and sizes. Generally speaking if the valves.and

3,149,573 Patented Sept. 22., 1964 ice the flexible body carrying thechambers. are the disc type having substantially common axes the deviceis quite simple and has many advantagesv over that of a structurewherein the valves are cylindrical and also have the same or common axisbut the mating valve surfaces. with their supplementary faces arepreferably frusto-conical in order to maintain a proper sealingrelation.

In regard to the materials of avalve of this character the valve membersthemselves. may be made of any suitable rigid material such as metal orglass. Glass or ceramic forms provide. good valve. members because theelastomer forming the flexible body means carrying the chambers may bevulcanized or cemented thereto and the smooth valve face can be agroundand polished glasslike surface which when cooperating with. a portmember made of plastic such as that which is known in the present marketunder the trademark Teflon provides an excellent cooperative surface forrelative motion which although providing a perfect seal when new willlap itself, and the longer that the pump is operated the better sealconditions are provided. Pumps of this character are operated underrelatively low pressures and thus the seal between relatively rotatablesupplementary surfaces will operate without any leakage whatsoeverbetween these valve surfaces.

If the flexible body means is in the form of a single elastomer memberhaving multiple chambers it need only be cemented to a smooth or groundsurface of the glass valve members and the drive. shaft need only be.secured to one valve member to drive the rotary portion of the pumpwhich is the flexible body means cemented between the two valves and thecement or vulcanization between the elastomer and the valves issufficient to drive the valve that is disposed eccentrically forproducing the partial displacement of the chamber.

The plastic port members may be secured. to the opposed surfaces of apair of plates by any suitable means. However, they may be held in placeby the inlet and outlet tubes passing through these. plates and beingsecured to the plastic port member. The plates are then secured to each.other one plate having the tie rods fastened thereto and the other platehaving clearance holes for the tie rods which are threaded to receivenuts. One nut being pulled up tighter than the other will cause theplates. to beheld at an angle relative to each other thereby producingthe eccentric action in compressing the flexible body means adjacentthis: tie rod, thus, this, the shorter tie rod disposes the port and itscooperating valves in eccentric relation to partially displace thechamber in the flexible body means. The ports in the port members arearranged relative to the short tie rodso that the chamber in theelastomer when passing the short tie rod will have its outlet connectionjust about to close and after its outlet connection is closed furtherrotation will open its inlet sothat the chamber may be fully filled whenit reaches a diametric positionv of full chamber expansion at which timethe inlet valve is closed and shortly thereafter the outlet valve isopened as the chamber begins to be. compressed so that the valvechamber, whilebeing contracted, will discharge the fluid through theoutlet.

Thus one may vary the contraction of the plates relative to each otherduring the operation of the pump to change the volumetric capacity ofthe chambers while the pump operation subsists.

The rotary shaft driving the pump may be operated by any suitable primemover. However, provision should be made to enableone to vary the speedthrough the mechanical speed changer or if the pump is: driven by anelectrical motor one should be able to change the speed of the motor,thereby changing the output of the pump without changing its volumetriccapacity. Thus; one is enabled to invoke the change in speed orvolumetric capacity during the operation of the pump to maintain propercontrol and operation of such metering pump.

Another motive for attaining eccentricity for the purpose of partiallydisplacing the pump chambers is by providing a member that is adjustablyeccentric of the flexible body containing the chambers even though thisabutment is maintained on an axis parallel to the axis of rotation. Herethe abutment may be effective in engaging the flexible body andpartially displacing the chambers therein without relative rotary motionbut by reason of a radial motion due to the eccentric mounting of theabutment relative to the flexible body means. As previously mentionedthe parallel eccentricity may also be obtained through radial adjustmentof one of the port members which maintains a concentric relation to avalve member and when this combination is made eccentric it will providepartial displacement of the flexible body means between the valvemembers and thus create a pump action even though the eccentric valvemembers are tied together through the body means but one rotates in anorbit eccentric to the other.

Other structures carrying different combinations of these features maybe provided in constructing a pump of this character.

Other objects and advantages appear hereinafter in the followingdescription and claims.

The accompanying drawings show for the purpose of exemplificationWithout limiting this invention or the claims thereto certain practicalembodiments illustrating the principles of this invention wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a single body, multiple chamber, axialflow, positive partial displacement pump with angular eccentricity anddisc inlet and outlet valves.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the relative positions of the valveports employed in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a multiple body each with a singlechamber, axial flow, positive partial displacement pump with an angulareccentricity and with disc inlet and outlet valves.

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a multiple body each with a singlechamber, axial flow, positive partial displacement pump, with axialeccentricity and having tapered plug inlet and outlet valves.

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 7- of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 6 withparts broken away.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a single body, multiple chamber, radialflow, positive partial displacement pump with axial eccentricity andwith plug inlet and outlet valves.

FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 10--10 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a sectional View of a single body with multiple chambers andradial flow, positive partial displacement pump with angulareccentricity and with disc inlet and outlet valves.

FIG. 12 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 1212 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a transverse sectional view of a modified form of the axialflow, positive partial displacement pump with angular eccentricity Withdisc inlet and outlet valves and having a modified eccentricityproducing housing.

FIG. 14 is a perspective View of a single body, multiple chamber, axialflow, positive partial displacement pump with angular eccentricity andwith disc type inlet and outlet valves.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings a single body, multiple chamber isindicated at 1 as a disc-like elastomer member of uniform thickness andwhich is flexible and contains an annular series of chamber means 2.This flexible body means is preferably made from an elastomer materialthat may be subjected to compressive forces from the valve members 3 and4 which will deform the flexible body means which cause the chambers tobe either diminished in size when pumping a gas type fluid because thegas is compressed or to actually deform the chamber itself in bulgin thechamber walls outwardly and maintain the same volume when pumping anon-compressible liquid.

The valve members 3 and 4 are preferably made of glass and each have oneface 5 which is preferably ground to produce a surface similar to thatof a ground glass bottle stopper for receiving the adjacent surfaces ofthe elastomer member 1. These adjacent surfaces of the elastomer 1 maybe vulcanized to the surfaces 5 of the valve members or they may becemented thereto.

Each valve member is provided with a corresponding flow passage 6 foreach of the chambers 2 and it is preferable that these flow passages besubstantially the same size as the chambers 2 in the elastomer member toprevent any resistance to flow from the inlet valve member to the outletvalve member. In the structure as shown either of the valves 3 or 4 canbe either the inlet or the outlet valve, the determining factor beingthe manner in which the pump is rotated.

The opposite faces 7 of each of these valve members are preferablyground to a flatness or smoothness and these faces are termed the smoothfaces of the valve which actually cooperate with the smooth faces 8 onthe port members 10 and 11. These port members are preferably formed ofa plastic material such as that which is purchased under the trademarkTeflon. Their smooth faces 8 are preferably formed as well as possibleto prop erly mate with the smooth faces '7 of the valves and whenproperly formed will not permit the pump to leak when the fluid is undera puessure of several pounds. It is obvious, however, that when relativemotion is provided between the supplementary smooth faces 7 and 8 theybecome lapped in and the longer they are used the better seal isprovided therebetween.

The port members 10 and 11 may be secured to the plate or abutmentmembers 12 and 13 by means of the bolts 14 or by means of the fluidconnections 15 and 16 at opposite ends of the pump. The abutment membersor plates 12 and 13 are secured relative to each other by a pair of tierods 17 and 18 which are diametrically disposed relative to each otherin a plane that lies transversely through the rotary axis of the driveshaft 29. This drive shaft is secured to the valve member 3 as indicatedat 21 and passes through the stationary port member 10 and through aclearance hole 22 in the port member it) and the clearance hole 23 inthe abutment member 12. This rotary shaft may be driven by any suitablerotary prime mover. It is preferable, however, that some form of speedchange device be provided so that one may change the speed of rotationof the pump while the same is in operation. This could be performed bymany different speed changing devices or if the prime mover was anelectrical motor the same could be made to be a variable speed forchanging the speed of the operation of the pump while in service orWhile its operation subsists. Since the shaft 20 is secured to the valvemember 3 when the latter rotates, it causes the flexible body means landa valve member 4 to rotate therewith. This rotation permits the valvepassages 6 to be valved in respect to the inlet port 24 and the outletport 25 as shown in FIG. 3. It would be noted that the inlet port 24 isof arcuate shape being of the same radius as the center of the passage6, and extends for substantially The inlet port is not shown in FIG. 1because it would be in the portion that is removed by this sectionalView. As illustrated in FIG. 3 the rotation is counterclockwise in FIGS.1 and 3.

A stub shaft 26 is secured to the outlet valve member 4 as indicated at2'7 and passes through the clearance openings 28 and 30 in the outletport member 11 and the abutment member 13.

The tie rods 17 and 18 are provided with the nut members 31 and 32. Thenut 3-1 is turned up on its thread to provide an assembly tightnessbetween, the relative rotary surfaces 7- and 8, however, the nut 32 isturned up further so as to slope the abutment T3 to dispose the same atan angle relative to the rotary axis of the shaft 20 and thereby providean angular eccentricity of. the port member 11 and the valve member 4,.which. angular eccentric position causes the upper portion of theflexible body means to be compressed. It will, of course, bulge slightlyfrom between the valve members 3' and 4 if the fluid is anon-cornpressible liquid and if the material being pumped is a gas, thechamber 2 at this position might be smaller, since the gas iscompressible. The chamber may bulge be greater because in this positionboth of the passages 6. in. the inlet and outlet valves 3' and 4 wouldbe closed as they would be at the vertical position as illustrated. inFIG. 3. In like manner, when the lowermost chamberZ. would. be at thelowermost position as shown in FIG. 3 which would be the larger orexpanded position of the chamber 2, the inlet valve could be open to thechamber 2. at this position if the rotation of the pump were to bemaintained in the same direction. However, it is preferable to mate theports in the port members It) and 11 as illustrated in FIG. 3 so thatthe pump may be operated in. opposite directions and thus the inlet andoutlet port and valve members would change. Thus it is preferable tomake the port members 24 and 25 symmetrical so that the pump may beoperated in opposite directions.

Referring now to FIG. 4 the structure is precisely the same as thatshown in FIG. 1 with the exception that the flexible body means is in:the form of a series of elas-tomer tube sections. 33 each provided witha chamber 34. In view of the fact that the valve surfaces 5 are fastenedto a materially smaller area of the flexible body means 33, it ispreferable to provide some form of dent clutch member 35 between theadjacent shafts 2t and 26. This permits mechanical driving force to betransferred from the valve member 3 to the valve member 4 without undulytwisting the elastomer members 33. In allother respects it functions inthe same manner as that already described with reference to FIGS. 1 to3. i As: shown: in FIG. 5 each of the elastomer members 33 areindependent elastomers each being a section of a hose. However, theirchamber means 34 are substantially the same size as that of the passages6 and the valve members 3 and 4.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and 8 the fluid pump is a multiple flexiblebody means each with a single chamber and disposed so as to, provideaxial flow, the partial displacement being attained through an abutmentwhich is axially eccentric with the rotary shaft and is provided withrotary sleeve valves having mating plug surfaces. Here the base member36 is provided with two upstanding members 37 and 38 for supporting thebearings of the pump. The stand37 has a central bore 39 to receive theplug member that is preferably made of a material such as Teflon and isprovided with arcuate port members 41 and 52 which lead to the passages43 and 44 that form the inlet and outlet or suction and dischargepassages depending upon the rotation of the pump. This plug member 4% issecured by means of the nut member 45 to the standard 37 and isstationary.

The inner face of the standard 37 is provided with a vertical dovetailedgroove 46 to receive the supplementary dove-tailed members 4'7 which arediametrically o-pposed to each other on the ring member 48. This ringhas a transverse slot 543 to receive the headed end 51 of thedisplacement adjustment screw 52 which has secured on its outer end theknurled thumb head 53 fixed in position by the pin 54. The ring member48 carries the outer race 55 of the antifriction bearing having its ballmembers and the inner race member 57, the inner race member 57 6 has thehubmember 58 secured therein for the purpose of carrying thespider'members 60 that support the abutment ring 61.

Thus by rotating the thumb head 53 the outer ring 48 is moved verticallyand the axial center of the anti-friction bearing is made eccentric tothe axial center of the opening 38 and the plug 40.

The standard 38 has a threaded opening 62 for receiving the bearingsupport member 63 that carries the outer racemember 64 of theantifriction ball bearing 65 The inner race member 66 has mounted initsopening the valve member 67. The end. of the valve member has a shaft65; secured thereto by means of the claw 69 on the hand 70,v the clawsbeing forced into supplementary openings in the end of thetubularvalvemember 67.

The valve member 67 is preferably made of glass or other suitable rigidmaterial and its. perimetral surface is substantially cylindrical withthe exception of the com tersupport member 71. This support member is inthe form of a disc having a uniformly disposed arcuaterpocket 72. On.the other side of the support disc 71 the valve is. provided with aseries of radial valve passages 73 which extend through the smoothfrusto-conical surface 74 that males with thetapered plug 40 and theport member 41. Each of the passages 73 isprovided with an extension;75.. Onv the opposite side of the support member 71, a second, annular.series of radially disposed valve passages 76 extend through the. valveand the. smooth surface 77 so as to connect with. the port 42. and thusthe passage 44 in the plug 46 which mates therewith in rotary contact,the passage ways '76 are likewise provided with an extension 75.. Aflexible body means 78 extends be tween each of the pairs of extensionsand are sealed or otherwise cemented to the perimetralsurface of thevalve members and to the extension 75 and their intermediate sectionslikewise. in the arcuate pockets 72 in the support member 71.

Since the spider 60 with its annular ring 61 is. disposed eccentric tothe axis of the drive shaft 68 and valve member 67, the flexible bodymeans adjacent the upper portion of the drawing are depressed by theabutment 61, whereas the same flexible body means at the bottom of thedrawing are free and fully expanded as illustrated in FIG. 6. Since thering 61 is free to rotate and has very little friction and since it islikewise provided with small arcuate pockets 79'. these pockets aid inmaintaining the ring 611 in continuous contact therewith as the membersrotate. As shown in FIG. 7 when each chamber ofthe flexible body means.78 leave the lower six ocl'ock position they become progressivelysmaller until at the twelve ocl'ock position where they are partiallydepressed to their full extent after which the chambers'begin to open upto the full extent as shown at the consecutive six oclock position.

As shown in FIG. 8 if the rotation is clockwise each inlet passage 73-is' connected to the inlet port 41 at approximately the one oclockposition and is closed at approximately the five oclockposition whereasthe discharge port 42 is opened at the seven oclock position to allowthefluid to be discharged from. the passages 76 to the discharge whichis closed at approximately the eleven oclock position.

If one were to regulate the displacement adjustment screw 5-2 he canchange the eccentricity of the abutment ring 61 relative to the support71 and the flexible body means 78 and thereby control the amount offluid discharge from each chamber for each revolution.

Another type of single body multiple chamber, radial: flow, positivepartial displacement pump that is provided with an axial eccentricabutment, is illustrated in FIG. 9. Here the base member 81 is likewiseprovided with. a vertical disposed dove-tailed groove 82. for receivingthe dove-tailed members SS on the outer ring member 84 and has. anenlarged. bore 85 in which is received the annular port member 86. Thesmall bore 87 of the ring member is larger than the central port member88 which is provided with a flange having bolts extending therethroughfor securing the port member 88 to the base member 81.

The ring member 84 is provided with an annular sleeve 99 which slipsover the ring member 84 and has a keeper 91 having a slot therein toreceive the head on the end of the displacement adjustment screw 92received in the threaded opening in the base member 81 and beingprovided with a knurled thumb head 93. Thus by turning the screw andmoving the ring vertically its center is adjusted eccentric to that ofthe axis of the port member 88 in the base 81.

The rotary shaft 94 is properly journaled to support the rotary valvemember 95 that has an annular valve portion 96 with a smooth valve face97 to receive the supplementary tapered surface of the port member 88 insealed engagement. The valve 96 is provided with the radial passages 98and its exterior perimetral surface has secured thereto the flexiblebody means 959 as by vulcanizing or cementing. The outer surface of theflexible body means 99 is secured to the bore of the valve member 1111and each of these members is provided with its corresponding opening 101and 102 which are substantially the same size as the radial opening 98and in line therewith. The exterior surface of the valve member 1190 isalso frustoconical and is provided with a smooth face 1113 which is inmating engagement with a supplementary face in the port member 86.

Thus when the displacement adjustment screw 92 is actuated to move thering 84 eccentric to the rotary axis of the shaft 94 the flexible bodymeans will become deformed-between the inner valve member 96 and theouter valve member 1% as illustrated in FIG. 9 thereby partiallydisplacing the fluid contained in this member. Although the outer valvemember 190 is secured to the annular flexible body means 9, it has aradial sliding engagement with respect to the abutment 19 1 on themember 95. Thus as the shaft 94 is rotated, the outer valve 1% and theflexible body means 99 is required to move inwardly to compress thelatter at the top of the ring on each rotation of the valve. In thismanner partial displacement of the chamber 101 is provided for thepurpose of pumping fluid.

As shown in FIG. 10 the suction or inlet port 105 is formed in thefrusto-conical surface of the port member 88 and is connected by meansof the passage 196 to the source of fluid supply. The outer annular portmember 86 is provided with a port 1117 as illustrated in FIG. 10 for thepurpose of discharging the fluid through the discharge passage 1118.Here each of the valve members may be made of glass and be provided withsmooth annular surfaces to function as the valve faces in porting thechambers between the inlet and outlet port members.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12 the single flexible body is provided with aseries of radial chambers 111 and on either side thereof are providedwith the offset valve connection members 112 and 113. Member 112 is inthe form of a disc which is preferably made of the same elastomermaterial as the flexible member 110 and made integral therewith. Aseries of passages 114 are formed around its perimeter to connect withthe valve passages 115 in the valve member 116 which is preferablyconstructed of glass and is cemented or vulcanized to the adjacentsurfaces of the bodies 110 and 112. The opposite face 117 of the valve116 is the smooth face which engages with the surface 118 of the portmember 119. This port member is provided with an arcuate port 120 and anexterior passage 121 connected thereto. The port member 119 is securedto the base 122 by means of the screw members 123.

The valve connection member 113 is of ring shape and is likewise formedintegral with the flexible member 110 and is provided with passages 124,one for each of the chambers 111 and are connected to correspondingvalve passages 125 through the valve member 126 which passes through thesmooth valve face 127 that is in sealing engagement with the port face128 of the port member 130 which is secured to the movable abutmentmember 131 by means of the screws 132. This abutment member is connectedto the base by means of the fulcrum 133 and its opposite end has a slot134 to receive the rod 135 having the nut 136 retractably engaging thesame. Thus by turning up the nut 13s the upper portion of the flexiblemember 110 is compressed as it passes through the twelve oclock positionin rotation. The port member 130 is provided with an arcuate port 137and is connected to the exterior passage 138.

The valve member 126 may be provided with a stub shaft formed integraltherewith as indicated at 140 which rotates and is journaled in theopening 141 of the port member 130. The valve member 126 has anoppositely extending stub shaft 142 which engages the bore of theflexible member 111 All of the adjacent engaging portions between thevalve members 116 and 126 are vulcanized, cemented, or otherwise securedto the flexible member 111) and the offset valve connections 112 and113.

The valve member 116 is provided with a rotary shaft 143 for the purposeof rotating the valve members and the flexible member 110 that issupported therebetween.

The structure shown in FIG. 13 is similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1,however, the abutment plates have been replaced by the housing sections144 and 145. The circular end of each housing has its correspondingvalve member 111 and 11 secured thereto by the bolts 14 and the inletand outlet connections. The cylindrical portions of the housing 144 isprovided with a pair of oppositely projecting diametrically disposed pinmembers 146 and 147. The pin 1% operates in a slot 148 that lies in atransverse radial plane. However, the slot 150 for the pin 147 follows ahelix and when the housing 145 is rotated relative to the housing 144the helix causes the pin 147 to compress the adjacent portion of theflexible member 1. In other words, the helix creates the same conditionas the tie rods 17 and 18. The shaft 20 extends into the motor 151. Thusthis structure provides an enclosed and compact pump unit.

The structure illustrated in FIG. 14 is the same pump structure that isshown in FIG. 1 in perspective for the purpose of illustrating thesimplicity of the pump and the manner in which it is supported andconnected with the drive motor which is somewhat similar to that shownin FIG. 13. The volumetric displacement screw 152 is mounted in such aposition as to be readily adjusted for changing the volumetric capacityof the pump during its operation without changing the speed. However,one may change the volumetric capacity of the pump as well as the speedto control the output While the operation of the pump subsists. In thismanner very accurate control is had over delivery of the fluid suppliedby the pump.

The plate 153 has the upstanding ears 154 and 155 each of which isprovided with a slot 156 that has an arcuate recess 157 for receivingthe pins 158. The pins 158 project from each side of the depending arms159 of the plate member 161). The pins 158 on opposite sides of the pumpare axially aligned with each other and this axis passes through theapproximate center of the elastomer member 1 as wel! as through thevertical central axis of the drive shaft2fl. Thus the housing 161 may berocked back and forth on the trunnions 158 seated in their arcuatebearing surfaces 157. In order to mount this pump assembly in positionthe parts are assembled and placed on the plate 153 and the elastomermember 1 is compressed by pushing downwardly on the housing 161) andturning the housing clockwise until the trunnions 158 engage in theslots 156 and become seated in the arcuate bearings 157. The mountingbracket 161 is secured to the mounting plate 162 that is fastened to themotor M3. The shaft 164 of the motor 163 is provided with a dent typeclutch 165 to secure it to the drive shaft 20. To one side of thisclutch there appears the fluid inlet 166. The outlet 167 is in thehousing member 160. These, of course, will change according to thedirection of rotation of the pump.

An upstanding lug 168 is provided with a threaded collar 169 to receivethe adjusting screw 152 the inner end of which engages the socket 170 atthe lower end of the arm 159. A thumb and finger cap 171 is provided onthe outer end of the screw 152 to enable one to move the screw inwardlyor outwardly and thus cant the housing 160 on the trunnions 158 and inthis manner further compress one sector of the flexible body means 1which, of course, relieves the initial compression of the other side incorresponding amount.

In this manner the volumetric capacity of the chambers in the elastomermeans 1 may be changed during the operation of the pump and may bechanged at the same time that the speed of the motor is varied.

We claim:

1. A positive partial displacement rotary fluid pump consisting of aflexible body means having opposite sides and containing at least onechamber means extending therethrough from one side to the other,independent inlet and outlet valve means secured to the opposite sidesof said flexible body means and connected to said chamber means tosupply and discharge fluid therefrom, shaft means connected to one ofsaid valve means to rotate said other valve means and said intermediateflexible body means, a fixed valve port member in surface engagementwith the outer face of each rotary valve means, angularly disposedabutment means engaging said port members and supported relative to therotary axis of said shaft means to angularly shift the axis of saidother valve means and its respective valve port member to be effectivein flexing said body means and partially compressing said chamber meansduring rotation to pump fluid, and control means to vary the output ofsaid fluid pump while its operation subsists.

2. The fluid pump structure of claim 1 characterized in that saidcontrol means is a variable speed means to operate said shaft means.

3. The fluid pump structure of claim 1 characterized in that saidcontrol means is an operator to vary the angular position of the axis ofsaid other valve means relative to said rotary axis to vary thevolumetric output of said fluid pump.

4. A positive partial displacement rotary fluid pump consisting of aflexible body means having opposite sides and containing at least onechamber means extending therethrough from one side to the other,independent inlet and outlet valve means secured to the opposite sidesof said flexible body means and connected to said chamber means tosupply and discharge fluid therefrom, shaft means connected to one ofsaid valve means to rotate said other valve means and said intermediateflexible body means, a fixed valve port member in surface engagementwith the outer face of each rotary valve means, abutment meanseccentrically supported relative to the rotary axis of said shaft meansto angularly shift the axis of said other valve means and its respectivevalve port member to be effective in flexing said body means andpartially compress said chamber during rotation to pump fluid, variablespeed means connected to drive said shaft means, and an operator to varythe angular position of the axis of said other valve means relative tosaid rotary axis to shift the said abutment and vary volumetric outputof said pump While the operation of said fluid pump subsists.

5. A positive partial displacement rotary fluid pump consisting of aflexible body means having opposite sides and containing at least onechamber means extending therethrough from one side to the other, rigidinlet and outlet valve members each having its inlet and outlet passagesand a smooth face, one end of said passages extending through the smoothfaces of their respective valve member, each of said passages in saidvalve members having their other ends connected to said chamber means,said valve members secured to the opposite sides of said flexible bodymeans, inlet and outlet port members each with a smooth face tosupplement and cooperate with its corresponding smooth valve face,rotary driven shaft means secured to at least one valve member to rotateboth of said valve members and said flexible body means, and angularlydisposed abutment means engaging said port members and supported at anangle relative to the rotary axis of said shaft means to be effective inflexing said body means and partially compress said chamber means duringat least one portion of each rotation to pump fluid.

6. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that saidflexible body means consists of a series of tubular hose members witheach bore forming one chamber means.

7. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 in that said flexible body meansis an elastomer means having a plurality of transverse openingstherethrough each forming a chamber means.

8. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that saidchamber means are normally disposed to be substantially parallel withthe rotary axis of said shaft means.

9. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that saidchamber means are normally du'sposed transversely of the rotary axis ofsaid valve means.

10. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that said rigidinlet and outlet valve members are washer type members with saidflexible body means extending therebetween, said shaft being connectedto one of said washer valve members, said port members like wise beingwasher members with the smooth faces in engagement with said valvemembers, said abutment means including opposed plates on the oppositesides of said port members and tie rods connecting said abutment means,one of said tie rods being shorter than the other to partially compressone portion of said flexible body means between said valve members asthe assembly is rotated between said port members and inlet and outletconnections extending from said port members to the exterior of thepump.

11. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized by inlet andoutlet connections extending from said port members through saidabutment means to interlock and prevent the latter from rotation.

12. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that saidflexible body means is an elastomer and said valve members are glasshaving their ground surfaces secured to opposite sides of said flexiblebody means, said port members being constructed of Teflon to providesubstantially frictionless smooth faces in engagement with the smoothfaces of said valve members.

13. The fluid pump structure of claim 11 characterized in that said portmembers each having port extensions to alternately connect said valvepassages to said inlet and outlet connections.

14. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that saidabutment means includes an annular ring supported to move transverselyof the rotary axis of said shaft means to provide movement to partiallycollapse said chamber means in said flexible body means.

15. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that said valvemembers are tubular members on opposite sides of a support and havingradially disposed passages extending through their smooth face bores,and said flexible body means are a plurality of elastomer hose membersconnecting associated ports on said valve members with theirintermediate portion carried by said support, said valve members beingsupported by bearing means and connected to said shaft means, saidsmooth valve faces being conical, said port means including a plugmember having complementary tapered smooth face angers surfaces and portconnections for said valve passages, said plug being held stationary andproviding the inlet and outlet openings at the opposite end of said pumpfrom said shaft means, said abutment means including an annular ringheld by a spider rotatably supported independently of said valve membersand means to adjust the relative position of the rotary axis of saidabutment relative to the rotary axis of said shaft to vary the partialcompression of the chamber means in said elastomer hose members and varythe volumetric capacity of said pump.

16. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that said valvemember is a tubular body having its passages radial and with its centralbore being tapered and providing said smooth surfaces, said flexiblebody means being an annular elastomer provided with radial chambers thatalign With said passages, said other valve member being tubular andsecured to the perimeter of said elastomer body means and having itspassages aligned with the chamber means in said body means, the smoothface of said last mentioned valve member being frustoconical, a portmember having a supplementary frustoconical surface to fit the smoothsurface of said last valve member and retained in a ring, a base memberto support said ring and having a guide transverse of the center ofrotation of the shaft means, a guide means on said ring and retained insaid transverse slot and means carried by said base for moving said ringin either direction in said slot to position said frusto-conical portmember angularly disposed relative to the rotary axis of said shaftmeans to compress said chamber means, a frustoconical port memberdisposed axially of said first valve member and having a smooth face tocoact therewith, said port member being supported by said base andproviding a fluid connection to said pump.

17. A positive partial displacement rotary fluid pump consisting of abase, a flexible body means having valve faces on opposite sides andcontaining at least one chamber extending therethrough from one valveface to the other to supply and discharge fluid therefrom, rotary shaftmeans connected to rotate said flexible body means, a fixed valve portmember in surface engagement with each valve face on the opposite sidesof said body means, abutment means supported from said base and in turnsupporting said valve port members with said rotary body meanstherebetween, and means to change the relative angular position of theaxis of one of said valve port members relative to the angle of the axisof the other port member to be effective in flexing said body means andpartially changing the volume of said chamber means regardless of therotary movement and speed of said pump.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,092,393 Hewitt Sept. 7, 1937 2,240,537 Young May 6, 1941 2,392,279Woods Jan. 1, 1946 2,435,820 Diggs Feb. 10, 1948 2,499,093 Fast Feb. 28,1950 2,672,825 Quintilian Mar. 23, 1954 2,677,329 Owen May 4, 19542,882,830 McDuffie Apr. 21, 1959 2,964,437 Appleton et a1 Dec. 13, 19602,988,003 Schmied June 13, 1961 3,019,772 Humphrey Feb. 6, 1962 FOREIGNPATENTS 583,008 Great Britain Dec. 4, 1946 857,530 Great Britain Dec.29, 1960 1,057,612 Germany May 21, 1959 1,096,755 Germany Jan. 5, 1961

1. A POSITIVE PARTIAL DISPLACEMENT ROTARY FLUID PUMP CONSISTING OF AFLEXIBLE BODY MEANS HAVING OPPOSITE SIDES AND CONTAINING AT LEAST ONECHAMBER MEANS EXTENDING THERETHROUGH FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER,INDEPENDENT INLET AND OUTLET VALVE MEANS SECURED TO THE OPPOSITE SIDESOF SAID FLEXIBLE BODY MEANS AND CONNECTED TO SAID CHAMBER MEANS TOSUPPLY AND DISCHARGE FLUID THEREFROM, SHAFT MEANS CONNECTED TO ONE OFSAID VALVE MEANS TO ROTATE SAID OTHER VALVE MEANS AND SAID INTERMEDIATEFLEXIBLE BODY MEANS, A FIXED VALVE PORT MEMBER IN SURFACE ENGAGEMENTWITH THE OUTER FACE OF EACH ROTARY VALVE MEANS, ANGULARLY DISPOSEDABUTMENT MEANS ENGAGING SAID PORT MEMBERS AND SUPPORTED RELATIVE TO THEROTARY AXIS OF SAID SHAFT MEANS TO ANGULARLY SHIFT THE AXIS OF SAIDOTHER VALVE MEANS AND ITS RESPECTIVE VALVE PORT MEMBER TO BE EFFECTIVEIN FLEXING SAID BODY MEANS AND PARTIALLY COMPRESSING SAID CHAMBER MEANSDURING ROTATION TO PUMP FLUID, AND CONTROL MEANS TO VARY THE OUTPUT OFSAID FLUID PUMP WHILE ITS OPERATION SUBSISTS.